Method of making pile fabrics



Jan. 13, 1942. P, MILLER 2,269,855

METHOD OF MAKING PILE FABRICS Original Filed July 14, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheetl l Il l 1| #10e/:for

Jan. 13, 1942. L. P. MILLER METHOD OF MAKING PILE FABRICS Original Filed July 14, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 8.

iaiented Jan.. i3, 1942 ICEl METHOD F RING PILE FABRICS Louis P. Miller, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to Miller- Jonas Corporation, Walden, N. *La corporation of New York Original application July 14, 1937, Serial No.

1940, Serial No. 336,513

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of making pile fabrics.` Apparatus for carrying out the method is disclosed and claimed in co-pending application Serial No. 153,633 filed July 14, 1937, of which application this application is a division.

Pile fabrics made by devices which have heretofore been used for inserting pile yarn through a base fabric have not been satisfactory in as much as the inserted pile loops tend to pull out unless an additional operation of coating the base of the pile fabric withan adhesive is performed, and this operation impairs the quality of the product.

By my invention provide a device which in addition to a needle for inserting pile yarn through a base material, and a follower by which yarn inserted through the base material by the needle may be held in position while the needle is retracted for the next stroke, comprises means for `iaying binding filaments to engage the legs ci the pile loops. The binding lament employed may be of any suitable kind. if desired, it may be a soluble thread such as cellulose acetate, and by applying a solvent to the binding thread it may be caused to adhere to, and fuse with, the base fabric, thereby rmly binding the loops within the base fabric in themanner set forth in my' co-pending application Serial No. 131,284, filed March 17, 1937.

For the purpose oi a full description of the invention I have disclosed herein two embodiments of the invention, one of which may be manually operated and the other power operated. Like numerals are used to represent @alike parts throughout. It will be understood that the numloer and arrangement `of the parts may be widely varied without departing from the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Tui the drawings:

Figure l is an exploded view of a manually operable embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of the device of Figure 1 showing the needle bar withdrawn and the loop follower in extended position;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a horizontal section of a portion of the device, showing the arms which carry the binding thread in their position at the end of the 'down stroke of the needle bar;

Figure 4 is a detail view, partly in section, showing thebinding thread arms crossing during-the up stroke of the needle bar;

Figure 5 is a detail view similar to Figure i but showing the relation of the parts at the top of the ,up Stroke of the needle bar;

Divided and this application May 22,

Figure is a plan -view of a power operatedembodiment of the invention employing a telescopic frame;

Figure 8 is a schematic view of a system using air underl pressure as a power means, and of an electric control circuit therefor;

Figure 9 is a detail of a portion of the needle bar showing a number of pin receiving apertures whereby the position of certain pins may be adjusted to conform to adjustments in the-length of the frame to form pile loops of various predetermined lengths; and

Figure 10 shows diagrammatically the construction of a tufted rug or other pile fabric with loops of pile yarn inserted through the base fabric and fusible binding threads or iilaments extending around the legs of the loops on the side of the fabric opposite to the loops and between the base fabric and the portions of the pile yarn overying'the base fabric on the side opposite to the oops.

The numeral l indicates a channel shaped frame in which the needle bar 2 is slidably mounted. Mounted on the side of the channel frame l opposite the needle bar 2 is the loop follower bar 3 having at its front end the flexible Y tip 4 which is inclined so that its forward end approaches very close to the needle bar 2. Se.

Yhandles for manually reciprocating the bars 2 and 3. As illustrated in Figure l the members and E have hollow, annular inwardly extending flanges, 5a and da respectively, on which spools or" binding thread may be supported, and through which the threads may be led from the cylinders y and d to the pivoted arms I and d and threaded through the respective eyes 9 and l0 thereof.

The follower 3 is retained in position by means of channel guides ii, i2 and i3. The needle bar 2 is retained within the channel frame i by means of channel shaped guide member i,which is detachably secured to frame i near its rear end and bridges over the needle bar, and by channel Ashaped member vl5 whichv bridges over the needle bar in front of cylinder e and, besides being a guide for the needle bart serves asy a 4. on which is mountedv the-mechanism for' resting the binding-thead bearing arms 1 and a The member I5 is secured within the channel shaped frame I by means of screws extending laterally through registering apertures b, b in the side flanges of frame I and member I5. Adjacent the forward end of base member I5 the arm 1 is pivotally mounted on pin I6. Pins Il and I8 are provided on arm l on opposite sides of pivot I 6. Pin I'I is in front of pivot I6 and engages a notch I9 in the rear end of the arm l5 which is pivoted on pin projecting downwardly from cover element 2|. Movement of arm l thus causes arm 8 to rotate on its pivot in the opposite direction. The pin Id is located adjacent the rear end of the arm 'l and engages a slot 22 in the cam follower Adjacent the rear end of member I5 is secured the forwardly extending finger 2li, alined with finger 25 extending rearwardly from the bifurcated rear end of slide member 26 which overlies the base member i5." Extending between, and supported on the fingers 2d and 25 is the coil spring 2l which tends to return slide 2li when it is moved relatively tothe base iii.

At the base of finger Btl is a lug 2S which engages one end of spring 2a the other end of which is connected to a hook 3G on the rear end of slide member ill. This member is channel shaped, having side flanges which extend down on either side of member irl, and having extended portions 32 and which serve as spacing members. At the rear end of member 3i is a down- Wardly projecting flange 3d which, when the needle bar is retracted, is engaged by pins 35 on the needle bar, thereby moving the slide ti rearwardly against the action of spring t9. in the side flanges of the member 3i, adjacent its front end, rectangular slots 3d are provided and behind the slots are ngers 3l' which are inclined inwardly from the side flanges. When the device is assembled the member 3i is positioned so that the slots are adjacent the pivoted cam follower 23. As the needle bar is reciprocated the side flanges f, f of cam follower 23 are alternately engaged, by the fingers 3l on the down strolce of the needle bar 2, and by the shoulders 3de at the front of the slots on the up stroke of bar 2, thus actuating cam follower 23 to cause angular movement of the arms l and t.

Rectangular slots Zit? may also be provided at the rear of fingers 3l to receive the point lil of cam follower 23 at the respective ends of its travel.

Atits rear end the arm 'l has a projection Gil.

*indicated in Figure 3, which when the slide te is at rest abuts against one side or the other of the projection il on the front end of slide member 26, depending on the position assumed by arm 'l at the end of the last up stroke of the needle bar. Secured on slide 2d adjacent its front end is the member d2, the front'edge of which. constitutes a cam surface( 62a. against which the rear point 39 of cam follower 2? travels. It will be noted that the two extremities of the cam surface 32a are somewhat elevated. During each complete reclprocation of the needle bar the point 39 of cam follower 23 moves entirely across the cam surface and cornes to rest beyond the elevated portions of the cam surface. The elevated portions serve to prevent accidental movement of member 23, but when the needle bar is positively actuated the pin of the member 23 readily slips over the elevated portions of the cam surface.v

Adjacent the pointed end of the needle bar 2 an eye i3 is provided to receive a pile forming yarn y. The yarn may be guided to the needle eye 43, from a spool or other source (not shown), through guide 44 in spring arm 45, the free end 65a of which may serve as a pile yarn tensioning device.

The acetate or other binding threads, t-t, are led from cylinders 5 and E, to the respective sides of the binding thread tensioning means. As illustrated herein this means constitutes a cross bar 4t mounted near the front of the frame and having grooves g, g to receive the binding threads, and a cover El secured over the cross bar by an adjustable screw 4B whereby the tension on the threads may be varied.

In operation the needle is preferably held pointed downwardly. The operator first slides the needle bar 2 down thereby inserting the point of the needle barv and a portionof the pile yarn threaded through the eye d3 of the needle, through the base fabric. He then slides the follower bar 3 forwardly until the flexible tip fl is also inserted through the base cloth and engages the pile yarn close to the eye i3 of the needle bar, thus retaining the last loop of yarn inserted through the base material by the needle bar while the needle bar is retracted for the next stroke. Thefollower remains down until the needle bar has inserted another loop through the base material. The follower is then reciprocated and engages the new loop.

As theneedle bar moves on its up stroke pins 35 thereon engage the rear end of slide member 3l and move it rearwardly. As the slide tI moves rearwardly one of the slots 35 engages one of the lateral flanges f, of cam follower 23 causing it to raise slide it against the action of spring El?, thereby disengaging the projections fl@ and lll andcausing the point 39 of member t to travel across the cam surface ll2a at the same time exerting a pull on its pivot pin tI and thereby rotating arm l on its axis. The movement of arm 'l in turn causes movement of arm t in the opposite direction. Member 23 is thus rotated on its pivot lll and the other of the lateral flanges f, f is protruded into the slot 3e opposite to the one engaged by the cam follower on the preceding stroke, in the position illustrated in Figure 5.v As soon as the point of cam follower im ceases to exert pressure on it slide 2@ resumes its normal position thus bringing into abutting relation the faces of projections di) and lll opposite to those engaged on the preceding stroke of the needle bar. At the end of the up stroke of the needle bar 2 the point 3Q of member 23 is beyond the cam surfece 32a at 'one end or the other, depending on the position of arm l, and its opposite lateral flange f is engaged in the opposite slot 36.

Upon the forward movement of needle bar 2 member 23 is urged forwardly by one of the inwardly projecting lingers 3l on member 3l, causing cam follower 23 to move forward relatively to pivot l and to be rotated on its pivot to the position shown in Figure 6 in preparation for the next return stroke when the arms `l and 3 will be crossed in the opposite direction.

The second small set of rectangular slots in the side flanges of member 3l below the fingers 3l serve merely to receive the lower point of member at the extremes of its angular motion thereby increasing its range of movement within the channel of frame member I.

As the follower remains engaged through the base material when the needle is withdrawn it will be seen that, in the hand operable embodiagainst the flexible follower tip 4 when it is in extended position. By adjusting members 50 and l the distance between member l and the path of the needle bar may be regulated and in this way the distance between successive loops can be controlled.

In Figures '7 and 8 a power driven embodiment of my invention is shown wherein compressed air `is used to move the needle bar 2 on.its down stroke, and the follower bar 3 on its up stroke, and springs are employed to move the bars in the opposite directions. The. air supply is controlled by electrically operated valve means.

The numeral 52 indicates generally the frame which may besubstantially H-shaped to provide slideways for the needle bar 2 and follower bar 3 and has an enlarged central portion 53 constituting the housing for the valve mechanism. This mechanism includes two cylinders 5I and 55 in which are contained the piston heads 56 and 51 respectively. The piston head 56 is connected by piston rod 58 and bridge member 59 to the needle bar 2. Movement of the piston head 56 is therefore transmitted to needle bar 2. Similarly piston head 51 is connected by'piston rod 60 and bridge member 6I to follower bar 3. In front of the piston head in each of the cylinders 54 and 55 a spring S is provided whereby the pistons may be returned to normal position whenever the air is exhaustedfrom the cylinders.

Air for operating the pistons may be admitted to the cylinders 54 and 55 through -the tubes 62 and 63 respectively. These tubes may be alternately connected to the inlet passages 64 and 45 65 or to the exhaust passages 6i, and 61 respectively by the rotary valves 68 and 59. The valves 68 and 69 are actuated by the 'movement of the cores 10 and il respectively of solenoids 12 and 13 comprising the coils 12a, 12b, and 13a, 13brespectively. The valves 68 and 69 are respectively joined to the cores of the solenoids by arms I4 and l5 the ends of which are' slotted to make a sliding connection with pins 'I6 and 11 on the respective cores.

As illustrated in Figure 8 when core 'lli moves in the direction of coil '52a valve 68 will be rotated thereby connecting tube 62 with inlet pas-rl sage M and air `will be forced into cylinder 5t above piston head thus moving the needle bar 2 on its down stroke. Similarly when core le ismoved in the direction of coil B2b the valve will be rotated to connect tube 62w ith exhaust passage Se permitting the air to escape from cylinder et whereupon spring S will return the depressed piston t thus moving the needle bar 2 on its up stroke. In the same way when core li moves in the direction of coil 13a valve 69 will be rotated thereby connecting tube t3 with the exhaust passage $1 permitting the air to escape from cylinder 55 whereupon spring S will return the depressed piston St thus moving the follower baron its down stroke. Similarly when core 'ii is moved in the direction of coil 13b valve 69 will be rotated to connect tube t3 with 4'75 are readily freed from their seats 96 upon move.

inlet passage and air will be forced into cylinder 55 above piston head 5l' thus moving the follower bar on its up stroke.

The electric circuit for operating the valves El and $9 controlling solenoids 12 and i3 includes the pairs of contacts and 8i located at the front end of th'e frame adjacent the follower ar and adapted to be bridged by the tip l of e follower bar 3 to actuate solenoid coil 12a-causing air to be admitted to cylinder 54V for the down stroke of the needle bar; contacts 82 and 83 which are adapted to be bridged by contact member 84, carried at the rear end of needle bar 2,'

to' actuate solenoid coil 13b causing air to be admitted to cylinder 55 to retract the follower bar; contacts 85 and 86 which are adapted' to be bridged by contact member 81 carried at the rear end of the follower bar to actuate solenoid V coil 13a causing air to be exhausted from cylinder 55 allowingthe spring S in cylinder 55 to return the follower bar to its down position, and contactsl 8B and` which are adapted to be bridged by contactjl on the rear end of the follower bar` when-the follower barreaches the end of its down'strokef thereby actuating solenoid 12b, caus' l ing cylinder-54` to be connected to exhaust, and allowing.v spring S in cylinder 54 to return theA needle hartol its up position.- f

The-contact members 80 andai vare Preferably l adjustable, as by screw 9|), toward or away'from a the lfollower bar to control the extent to which the *framefmay move forward relatively td the.

followerbar. When the device is moved forward for eachnew stroke of the needle bar the follower bar is extended-through the base material and the extent' to which the device can move forward l is determined by the distance the frame canvmove before being vstopped by lcontact of the tip 4i ofA the follower bar with the stops 80 and 8 I As disclosed herein forward movement of the device is ended simultaneously rwith actuation of the needle bar to commence its next stroke due to `is so devised that the follower bar moves upwardly and downwardly again while the needle is inserted through th'e base material, and remains inserted through the base material while the needle bar is, retracted on one stroke and moves downwardly on its next stroke.

To prevent coils 12b an'd 13b from being actuated at the same time thatcoils 72a and 'i3d are actuated circuit breakers el are provided in the connections leading to coils lsb and 12b respectively. The switches 92 provided in connection with each circuit breaker are normally retained in closed position by means of springs $3.

In order to obtain smoother action of the pistons within the cylinders El and 55 I provide each cylinder at its air vintake end with a needle valve @d of any suitable conventional structure. I' prefer also to provide eachl of the valves 88 and 6@ with a spring detent e5 the point of which seats in one of two concavities te provided therefore in the-..periphe ry of each valve to prevent accidental movement of the valves. The detents 95 across the line of the loops.

ment of the valve due to the resiliency of the spring arms S'l by which the detents are xed to the valve casing. Y

In Figure 7 a. ,telescopic frame is illustrated, the two parts of the frame being joined together by screws 98 which may be positioned in different apertures 9d to adjust the distance between the front ends of the needle and follower bars and the shoe E00 at the front endA of the frame 52. The length of the pile loops formed depends of course on the distance the eye of the needle moves below the base material. By adjusting the length of the frame relatively to the needle bar the length of the pile loopsformed may be varied over a wide range, In making this adjustment the position of pins 35 on needle bar 2 which engage the flange 3G at the rear of slide 3i should also be adjusted and in Figure 9 a detail of needle bar 2 is shown having a number of apertures 35a adapted to receivel pins 35. The position of pins may thus be raised according to the adjustment of the telescopic frame.

'lin the hand operated embodiment of the invention the length of the stroke of the needle bar 2 and the follower bar 3 may be adjusted by positioning stops lili in the various apertures lilla' provided therefor in the rear ends of the bars. The down stroke of the bars is limited by oon-tact of the stops lill with the rear channel guides for the needle and the follower bars respectively.

In the method of carrying out my invention either by hand-or by power operated means, as illustrated in Figure l0, the needle bar 2, the eye of which is threaded with pile yarn y, is inserted through the base fabric il@ forming a loop lli.

The follower bar i3 is next actuated and its tip portion di inserted through the same interstice of the fabric through which the legs ofthe loop of yarn y extends, so that the tip engages the loop andprevents its withdrawal with the needle bar. The needle bar 2 is then withdrawn from the fabric and the arms l and il carrying the fusible binding threads move in opposite directions The device is then inclined forwardly and the needle bar 2 again inserted through the base fabric thus carrying the yarn y forward and over the previously crossed fusible threads or moments t, and the aforesaid steps are repeated. 'lhe loops iii are thus connected by portions l i2 of yarn overlying the surface of the base fabric on th'e side of the base fabric opposite to the loops, and between the base fabric and the portions of the pile yarn overlying the base fabric, threads or filaments, t, of cellulose acetate or other fusible material are present. as illustrated in Figure l0 the fusible threads or filaments t are passed between and on alternate sides of successive loops thus encircling the legs of each loop of pile yarn y. It will be noted that the cellulose or other fusible material is present only along the lines of loops, and not substantially between the lines of loops or on the under or exposed surface of the portions of the pile yarn y overlying the base fabric on the side opposite to the loops.

After the pile and the fusible threads or filaments are in position the latter are partly dissolved or fused in any suitable manner as by wetting the cellulose acetate filaments with acetone, either alone or in combination with a suitable plastlciser, or subjecting. the fusible filaments to heat treatment, or a suitable vapor, or other means for fusing the filaments until it becomes plastic and penetrates the portions of the plie yarn and base fabric between which it is inu terposed. The fused material is then indurated. The product thus formed has the advantages that the pile yarn and base fabric are firmly secured together, and the desirable qualities of softness and flexibility are retained because the fused material is not present over the entire back of the completed fabric, but only along the line of the loops, and substantially within the completed fabric.

What I claim is:

1. The method of making a pile fabric whic comprises the steps of alternately inserting through a base fabric a needle carrying a pile yarn forming an outwardly extending loop on one surface of the fabric and engaging the legs of the loop on the reverse side of the fabric with a plasticisable binding lament and fusing the filament to the said engaged portion of the legs of the loop.

2. The method of making a pile fabric which comprises inserting through'a base fabric a nee dle threaded with pile yarn, withdrawing the needle from the base fabric leaving the yarn extending through the fabric forming a loop on one face of the fabric, crossing soluble filaments in front of the pile yarn on the opposite face of the fabric, extending a length of pile yarn over the crossed soluble filaments, and again inserting A the needle threaded with pile yarn through the base fabric and thereafter fusing the filaments between the legs of the pile yarn and the base fabric.

3. The method of making a pile fabric which comprises inserting through a base fabric a needle threaded with pile yarn, withdrawing the needle from the base fabric leaving the yarn ezttending through the fabric forming a loop on one face of the fabric, crossing soluble filaments in front of the pile yarn beneath the base fabric in timed relation to the reciprocetions of the needle through the base fabric, extending a length of pile yarn over the crossed soluble filaments, and again inserting the needle threaded with the pile yarn through the base fabric, treating said filaments to partly dissolve them, and induratlng the partly dissolved filaments.

e. The method of anchoring pile yarn in a base fabric which comprises forcing through said fabric a double thread of pile yarn so as to form on one side of said fabric a series of outwardly extending loops the legs of which are connected on the reverse side ofy said fabric, and engaging the legs of each loop on the reverse side of said fabric by means of soluble binding filaments and treating the filaments to cause them to cement together the portion of the pile yarn overlying the reverse side of the fabric and the base fabric. 5. The method of anchoring pile in Va pile fabric which comprises inserting through a base fabric a needle threaded with pile yarn, inserting a follower through the base fabric and engaging the inserted yarn, withdrawing the needle from the base fabric, crossing soluble binding threads in front of the pile yarn, withdrawing the follower, reinserting the needle through the base fabric in front of said crossed soluble threads, exposing the crossed binding threads to the action of a suitable solvent and thereafter indurating the partly dissolved material.

6. The method of anchoring pile in a pile fabric which comprises repeatedly inserting through a base fabric a needle threaded with pile yarn forming a series of loops on one face of the fabric, crossing filaments of cellulose acetate in front of the pile yarn cnthe opposite face of the aeeaets fabric, extending a length of the pile yarn over each crossing of the filaments and treating the cellulose acetate filaments with a solvent causing cellulosic material to flow around the outside of the legs of each loop between the portions of the pile yarn joining successive loops and the bottom of the base fabric.

7. The method of anchoring pile in a pile fabric which comprises repeatedly inserting through a base fabric a needle threaded with pile yarn forming a series of loops on one face ofthe fabric, crossing filaments ofcellulose acetate in front of the pile yarn on the, opposite face of the fabric, extending a length of the pile yarn over each crossing of the filaments and treating the cellulose acetate filaments with a solvent causing cellulosic material to flow between the bottom of the base fabric and portions ofthe pile yarn overlying the bottom of the pile fabric.

8. The method of making a pile fabric which comprises inserting through a base fabric a needle threaded with pile yarn, withdrawing the needle from the base fabric leaving a loop of the yarn extending throughv the fabric, crossing soluble laments in front of the pile yarn on the opposite face of the fabric, extending a length of pile yarn over the crossed soluble filaments, and again inserting the needle threaded with the pile yarn through the base fabric, treating said filaments causing .them to flow into the interstices of the base fabric between the legs of the loops and the portions of the warp and weft threads of the base fabric in abutting relation to the legs of said loops.

9. The method of making apile fabric which comprises passing through a base fabric a needle threaded with pile yarn, withdrawing the needle from the base.fabric forming a loop on one face of the fabric, extending fusible threads around the legs of the loop on the side of the fabric opposite to the side from which the loops protrude and crossing the threads in front of the pile yarn, extending a length of the pile yarn over the crossed threads, and again inserting the needle threaded with pile yarn through the base fabric, and fusing the fusible threads to fasten LOUIS `1:. MILLER. 

